Self-Launched Downstream Mekong: Siem Reap to Ho Chi Minh City (10 Days)

Fly or bus into Siem Reap and check into a hostel or guesthouse in the Wat Bo / Old Market area. Spend the afternoon walking the Old Market (Psar Chas) and riverside, sort out a tuk-tuk driver for tomorrow's Angkor run (agree a full-day rate of roughly £13–18 including sunrise), and pick up an Angkor pass at the Apsara ticket office — a 1-day pass is US$37 (~£30), 3-day is US$62. Eat at a local Khmer restaurant or night market; fish amok and lok lak are both about £3–4.

🚌Tuk-tuk from airport ~£4–5 (or shared shuttle)

🛏Hostel or guesthouse dorm/private room, Siem Reap (£10–14)

• →Walk the Old Market and riverside
• →Buy Angkor archaeological pass
• →Negotiate a full-day tuk-tuk for Angkor
• →Night market dinner

Leave at 4:45am for Angkor Wat sunrise (the classic reflection shot from the north reflecting pool). Work through the small circuit at your own pace: Angkor Wat early to beat crowds, then South Gate of Angkor Thom, Bayon's face towers, Baphuon, the Elephant Terrace, Leper King Terrace and the Royal Enclosure. Break for lunch at a local stall near Bayon (~£3), then finish at a viewpoint for sunset — Phnom Bakheng if you have energy, otherwise Ta Prohm at golden hour. A licensed guide isn't necessary but if you want one, book a half-day guide through GetYourGuide/Klook for around £25–35 per group. Note: single-day pass means one entry, so buy a 1-day ticket for this day only.

🚌Full-day tuk-tuk with driver ~£13–18 (split between passengers)

🛏Hostel or guesthouse, Siem Reap (£10–14)

• →Angkor Wat sunrise
• →Bayon Temple and Angkor Thom
• →Baphuon and Elephant Terrace
• →Ta Prohm or Phnom Bakheng sunset

Take a morning VIP/express bus down National Route 6 — Giant Ibis, Virak Buntham or Mekong Express run daily, roughly 6–7 hours, £10–14 for a reclining seat with wifi and water. Buses leave from Siem Reap's central bus station; book the day before at your guesthouse or on Bookaway/12Go. Arrive Phnom Penh early evening, check into a guesthouse near the riverside or Street 240, and eat at a street-food stall or the Night Market by the palace.

🚌Siem Reap–Phnom Penh express bus ~£10–14

🛏Guesthouse or budget hotel, Phnom Penh (£11–16)

• →Scenic overland bus journey
• →Riverside evening walk
• →Night Market street food

Hire a tuk-tuk for the day (~£13–18) and start at Choeung Ek Memorial (Killing Fields), 17km south of the city — entry ~£4 with an excellent audio guide. Return to town for Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21), entry ~£4, also with audio guide. Lunch at a local place near the museum. In the afternoon, walk the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda (entry ~£8, closed midday so time it for 2pm), then the National Museum (~£4) and Wat Phnom for the late-afternoon light. This is a heavy day emotionally — leave buffer time and don't over-schedule. Alternatively, a half-day self-booked small-group tour from GetYourGuide covers Killing Fields + S-21 for ~£18–25.

🚌Full-day tuk-tuk hire ~£13–18

🛏Guesthouse or budget hotel, Phnom Penh (£11–16)

• →Choeung Ek Killing Fields with audio guide
• →Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum
• →Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda
• →National Museum and Wat Phnom

The classic independent Mekong crossing: the Hang Chau / Blue Cruiser speedboat leaves Phnom Penh's Sisowath Quay around 8am and runs to Chau Doc in about 4.5–5 hours, including the border formalities at Vinh Xuong. Book directly with Hang Chau Tourist or via your guesthouse — around US$35–45 (~£28–35). Have your Vietnam e-visa printed in advance (US$25, apply 1–2 weeks ahead). Arrive Chau Doc mid-afternoon; it's a mossy, riverside town with floating fish farms. Walk Sam Mountain for sunset views over the rice paddies back toward Cambodia, and eat at a local com tam or bun bo Hue stall.

🚌Phnom Penh–Chau Doc speedboat ~£28–35

🛏Budget hotel or homestay, Chau Doc (£9–13)

• →International Mekong speedboat crossing
• →Border formalities at Vinh Xuong
• →Sam Mountain sunset walk
• →Chau Doc riverside night market

Optional early start: a small sampan trip to the Chau Doc floating fish farm village (~£6–8) before you leave. Then take a local bus or shared minivan from Chau Doc to Can Tho — roughly 4 hours, 120,000–180,000 VND (~£4–6); book at the bus station or ask your hotel. Alternatively break the journey at Cai Be for a few hours. Arrive Can Tho in the afternoon, check into a hostel or guesthouse near Ninh Kieu quay, and pre-book tomorrow's Cai Rang floating market boat trip directly with your accommodation (~US$10–15 for a shared sampan, or £20–30 for a small private one). Sunset drinks on the promenade.

🚌Chau Doc–Can Tho local bus ~£4–6

🛏Hostel or guesthouse, Can Tho (£9–13)

• →Optional Chau Doc floating fish farm sampan
• →Local bus through the delta
• →Ninh Kieu quay evening stroll
• →Book Cai Rang floating market boat

Take a 5:30am sampan to Cai Rang floating market while it's still active — you'll see boats piled with pineapple and noodle soup vendors cooking on board. Most operators include a stop at a rice-noodle (hu tieu) family workshop and a small orchard; a shared boat is £8–12 per person, a private one £22–30. Back in Can Tho by mid-morning for breakfast. In the afternoon, either relax or take a public bus/minivan to Cai Be (about 2 hours, ~£4) where most budget Mekong homestays and boat trips set off. Alternatively base yourself in Can Tho tonight and head out tomorrow. An evening cooking class or delta homestay (Ben Tre or Cai Be) runs £15–25 including dinner.

🚌Shared sampan + local bus to Cai Be ~£10–14

🛏Delta homestay or budget guesthouse, Cai Be / Can Tho (£10–15)

• →Cai Rang floating market at dawn
• →Rice-noodle family workshop
• →Orchard and canal walk
• →Optional delta homestay or cooking class

Join a morning small-boat excursion on the narrow canals around Cai Be — most local operators (Cai Be Princess-style day trips, or your homestay's own boat) run 3–4 hour trips with a visit to Tan Phong islet, a handicrafts family, coconut candy or rice-paper workshop, plus a bicycle ride or village walk along the Mekong canals, from about £15–22 including a light lunch. Afterwards take a local bus or Futa/Phuong Trang sleeper coach from Cai Be or My Tho to Ho Chi Minh City — around 2.5–3.5 hours, £4–7. Check into a hostel in District 1 (Pham Ngu Lao / Bui Vien area, or quieter Da Kao) and eat at a banh mi or pho spot for £2–3.

🚌Cai Be–Saigon local bus ~£4–7

🛏Hostel or budget hotel, Ho Chi Minh City (£10–16)

• →Cai Be canal boat excursion
• →Tan Phong islet handicraft family visit
• →Bicycle or village walk
• →Local bus to Saigon

Option A: do it yourself — start at the War Remnants Museum (~£2), walk to the Reunification Palace (~£3), then Notre Dame Cathedral and the Old Saigon Post Office (free). For Cu Chi, take bus #13 from Ben Thanh to Cu Chi town (~£0.80) then a motorbike taxi, or book the direct tourist bus; tunnel entry is ~£1.50 and the tunnels are 2 hours outside the city, so allow a half day. Option B (easier): a GetYourGuide/Klook half-day Cu Chi tour is £15–22 including transport, and a half-day city walking tour is £12–18. If you're tight on time, combine a morning city walk with an afternoon Cu Chi tour (~£30–35 total). Rifle range shooting at Cu Chi is extra (about £1 per bullet) and optional.

🚌Public bus to Cu Chi or tour transfer ~£5–10

🛏Hostel or budget hotel, Ho Chi Minh City (£10–16)

• →War Remnants Museum
• →Reunification Palace
• →Notre Dame Cathedral and Old Post Office
• →Cu Chi Tunnels

Final morning for a coffee at a local cafe (Vietnamese iced coffee ~£1) or a last wander around Ben Thanh Market before heading to Tan Son Nhat airport. Grab or Be app rides to the airport cost £4–6 from District 1; bus #109 or #152 is around £0.40 if you're travelling light and want the budget version.

🚌Grab to Tan Son Nhat airport ~£4–6

🛏—

• →Ben Thanh Market shopping
• →Airport transfer